The Cabinet reshuffle on Sunday long in coming amounted to Much Ado about Nothing. In my view the Congress leadership and its spin-masters wanted the unending crescendo of corruption scams of its Government off the TV Channels and media headlines and divert public attention. If the end aim was improved governance, the reconstituted Cabinet is no game-changer. Elevating tainted Ministers, the Prime Minister has been insensitive to public opinion.

There was much hype of younger leaders being given more Cabinet representation. All that has happened is that the sons of former loyal retainers of the Congress leadership have been given independent charges as Ministers of State. None of the younger generation in the Congress can ever hope to get a full Cabinet rank until Rahul Gandhi elects to get one.

Rahul Gandhi the scion of the Congress political dynasty has once again shied away from joining the Cabinet. Indians will wonder as to on what strengths the Congress would field him as its Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2014 General Elections.
Over-representation to Andhra, and West Bengal would not secure political gains for the Congress in these two states, especially the former.

Conspicuous in the interviews of the new inductees in the Cabinet and those elevated was the nauseating repetitive and sycophantic ‘mantra’ that they were grateful to “Sonia-ji, Rahul-ji and (as an afterthought) the Prime Minister” for the goodies bestowed on them.

Coming to the major looming question of whether the newly constituted Cabinet can be a game-changer on India’s political firmament, the answer is a big “NO”. One Minister was candid in his remarks that if the political arithmetic of numbers changes in Parliament, the game would be up. This is a reality that is going to be all-pervasive in the next Winter Session and Budget Session of the Parliament.
 
Political survival will be the upper-most priority and the Prime Minister will be unable to effect any dramatic late-stage corrections in governance.

Whichever political perspective one sees it from the conclusion is the same. It amounts to “Much Ado about nothing” and is merely an attempt by the Congress leadership to divert TV and media focus away from the big pile-up of corruption scams that have accumulated at the Congress Party’s doors.